BHUBANESWAR  SUNDAY  AUGUST 24, 2025  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION NEXT, PREPARE FOR IT: PM TO SCIENTISTS PM on Saturday announced that India was preparing to set up a pool of astronauts for future missions, and asked youth to be part of it ACHIEVING MILESTONES NATURAL TRAIT: MODI In a video address on National Space Day, PM Modi said, “We have reached the moon and Mars. Now, we have to peek into deep space, where several secrets that would benefit the future of humanity lie hidden.” Achieving one milestone after another in the space sector has now become a natural trait of India and its scientists, Modi said ■ Aug 23 EXHORTS PRIVATE PLAYERS TO STEP UP ■ Modi said India viewed space technology not only as a tool for scientific exploration but also as a means to enhance ease of living The PM also asked the private players to come forward for deep space exploration. “... Can we reach a point where we can launch 50 rockets every year?” he asked space scientists and engineers | P7 IS NATIONAL SPACE DAY TO MARK LANDING OF CHANDRAYAAN-3 ON MOON CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Postal service to US Sergio Gor is Trump envoy first to take the hit Temporary suspension to impact small-scale exports J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi IN a significant development with far-reaching implications for trade and personal shipments, the Department of Posts announced on Saturday a temporary suspension of all postal services to the US, effective August 25, citing “operational challenges” arising from new customs regulations. The move follows the issuance of Executive Order No. 14324 by the US administration on July 30, which revokes the long-standing duty-free de minimis exemption for imported goods valued at up to USD 800. The new rules, coming into effect on August 29, will subject all international shipments to customs duties under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act framework. “ international postal items All destined for the USA, regardless of their value, shall be subject to customs duties,” an official release from the Ministry of Communications said, adding that only letters/documents and gift items valued up to USD 100 will remain exempt for the time being. Although the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued preliminary guidelines on August 15, key components of the new customs framework, in- Two drown while bathing in waterfall in Jajpur district J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi FILE PHOTO cluding the designation of “qualified parties” authorised to collect and remit duties remain “undefined”, according to the department. “Several critical processes… remain undefined. Consequently, US-bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness,” the press release noted. The suspension comes amid escalating trade tensions between New Delhi and Washington. President Donald Trump recently announced 25% tariff on Indian goods that could couple with an additional 25% penalty targeting India’s purchases of Russian oil, effectively raising the total tariff burden on certain imports to 50%. It sparked concerns within India’s trade and logistics sectors, given the volume of smallscale exports and personal shipments reliant on international postal services. The negotiations (with US) are still going on. The bottom line is, we have some red lines. Those are the interests of our farmers and small producers. That’s not something we can compromise on — S Jaishankar Strategic autonomy “That’s our right (buying Russian oil). In my business, we would say that’s what strategic autonomy is about,” the external affairs minister said at an event in New Delhi | P7 IN a key diplomatic move underscoring the Trump administration’s evolving strategy in Asia, President Donald Trump appointed Sergio Gor as the US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. The announcement came at a time of growing tensions between Washington and New Delhi over trade issues and India’s continued energy and economic engagement with Russia. At 39, Gor becomes the youngest US ambassador to India, replacing Eric Garcetti, a Bidenera appointee who vacated the post in January . His dual appointment signals a consolidation of regional diplomatic leadership under a figure with deep loyalty to Trump and substantial influence in the current administration. As Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, Gor played a key role in staffing the federal government with Trumpaligned officials. The president Sergio Gor credited him with hiring nearly 4,000 “America First Patriots” across federal agencies in record time. “Sergio is a great friend who has been at my side for many years... For the most populous region in the world, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my agenda and help us MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump said, emphasising the political trust underpinning the appointment. A low-profile but powerful operative, Gor held senior roles in both presidential campaigns, including management of a pro-Trump Super PAC, and involvement in publishing the former president’s best-selling books. His loyalty and behindthe-scenes influence earned him a reputation as one of the administration’s most trusted aides. tees worth `786.52 crore. SBI had classified RCOM THE Central Bureau of In- and Ambani as “fraud” on vestigation (CBI) conducted June 13, 2025, under RBI’s searches at industrialist Fraud Risk Management Anil Ambani’s Seawind guidelines, Minister of residence in Mumbai’s State for Finance Pankaj Cuffe Parade on Chaudhary inS a t u r d ay i n a for med the Lok ` 2 , 9 2 9 . 0 5 c ro re Sabha in a written bank fraud case inreply recently . volving Reliance RCOM’s ResoluCommunications tion Professional Limited (RCOM). disclosed this to The raids began the Bombay Stock at 7 am, with AmExchange on July bani and his fami1, 2025. SBI formally present, officials ly complained to Anil Ambani said.The CBI acted the CBI on August after registering a 18, 2025, prompt20-page FIR in Delhi, nam- ing the FIR. ing Ambani, RCOM, unA spokesperson on beknown public servants, and half of Anil Ambani said: others as accused, based on “The complaint by SBI pera complaint from SBI. tains to matters dating back SBI said that RCOM, un- more than 10 years... Mr der Ambani’s leadership, Ambani was a Non-Execudefrauded the bank of tive Director then, with no `2,929.05 crore, including a involvement in day-to-day fund-based principal of management. Mr Ambani `2,227.64 crore and non- has been selectively singled fund-based bank guaran- out.” M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi MASCARA MEN WITH THIS ISSUE PLUS 12 P AGES YouTuber swept away while filming in Duduma E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Jajpur AT least two persons drowned while bathing in a waterfall at Pahadkhol near Koil village under Sukinda police limits in Jajpur district on Saturday. While the body of one victim has been recovered, search efforts are underway for the other. The deceased has been identified as Shambhu Pradhan (22) of Kanjiapal village under Lembo panchayat. The missing youth Manas Mahanta (22), a B Tech graduate from Bandhagaon-Koil v i l l a g e, w a s wo rk i n g i n Bengaluru. According to reports, Shambhu, Manas and their minor friend, Buturu Mahanta (17), went to bathe in the seasonal waterfall at around 10 am. Shambhu and Manas jumped into the water, while Buturu stayed on the bank. When the duo failed to return, Buturu immediately informed family members and villagers. On being alerted, a team from the Sukinda Fire Service rushed to the spot and recovered Shambhu’s body after an intense search. The operation was hampered as the rescue team’s iron hook device got stuck in a deep pit beneath the waterfall. Later, a fire service team from Bhuban in neighbouring Dhenkanal district joined the efforts. The operation has been suspended and w i l l r e s u m e o n S u n d ay morning. The Pahadkhol waterfall, located in the Mahagiri hill range under Sukinda forest division, plunges nearly 300 feet into a treacherous pit and has been identified as hazardous. “Many youngsters, often inspired by social media reels, have been flocking to this dangerous spot to shoot videos in the past few years,” said local resident Basudev Pradhan. pick for India Anil Ambani, RCOM booked by CBI in bank fraud case of `2.9K cr The YouTuber at Duduma waterfall E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Jeypore A 22-year-old YouTuber from Berhampur was swept away in the strong currents of Duduma waterfall under Machkund police limits in Koraput district on Saturday The missing youth has . been identified as Sagar Kundu, a resident of Niladri Nagar in Berhampur. According to sources, Sagar along with fellow YouTuber Abhijit Behera of Cuttack’s Jobra area, had come to Koraput four days back for video shooting. On Saturday afternoon, the duo visited Duduma waterfall along with a few other youths. The YouTubers reportedly shot videos at different locations near the waterfall using a drone. Later, Sagar attempted to film a live video by venturing into the middle of the stream after jump- ing across rocks. Abhijit and the others stood nearby, warning him of the rising water level. Despite repeated alerts, Sagar reportedly took the warnings lightly and continued standing in the stream. Some of the youths even threw a rope in an attempt to pull him back, but failed. Within minutes, the water level surged suddenly from the dam side, sweeping Sagar away before anyone could rescue him. Fire department personnel rushed to the spot and launched a search operation. “I asked him to throw away all the equipment and somehow return to the bank. He threw the camera, but stood there for a while. Before he could come back, the water suddenly flooded the area and swept him away . I immediately called the police and fire brigade, but they couldn’t trace him,” Abhijit said. Machkund IIC Madhusudan Bhoi said that the search operation was suspended at night and will resume on Sunday with ODRAF personnel. “Preliminary investigation suggests that the YouTuber, unfamiliar with the terrain, misjudged the rising water level and was swept away before he could return to safety,” Bhoi added. MLA NABBED IN BETTING RACKET `12 crore seized by Enforcement Directorate officials from multiple locations during searches in an illegal betting case against Karnataka Congress MLA K C Veerendra (inset) and others. He was arrested under Sikkim’s anti-money laundering law | P5 | EXPRESS EXPRESS READ AI chatbot to help citizens avail fire services soon, says CM Majhi 2 dead, widespread damage as cloudburst hits U’khand Bhubaneswar: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, Odisha Fire and Emergency Service will launch an AI-enabled chatbot to assist citizens in availing various services and compliance matters. This was announced by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during the passing out parade of the 61st batch of fire fighters here on Saturday. Citizens can either download the chatbot app on their mobile phones or avail its services on the website of Odisha Fire Service | P3 Dehradun: A cloudburst struck Tharali town in Chamoli district shortly after midnight on Friday, unleashing a torrent of water and debris. The sudden deluge inundated the SDM’s residence, tehsil complex, and many homes, causing widespread destruction. Reports from the district disaster management office indicate that at least two people are feared dead or trapped. A young woman is reportedly buried under the rubble, and another person is missing | P8 Dedicated breastfeeding centre at Srimandir soon EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar IN a first-of-its-kind move, the Shree Jagannath temple in Puri will set up a dedicated breastfeeding centre within the premises, offering mothers a safe, private space to nurse their babies while visiting the shrine. The decision, aimed at promoting maternal and infant health, was announced by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Saturday. A space near the SJTA branch office within the shrine complex has been earmarked for the facility. The temple administration has also planned to recruit one trained lady attendant to manage the centre and help the mothers. The decision was taken at a recent meeting of SJTA officials including temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee, administrator (niti) Jitendra Sahu, supervisor Buxi Pratihari and assistant administrator Subhashri Suchismita. “The breastfeeding centre has become a need of the hour as everyday thousands of devotees , visit the 12th century shrine including new mothers who come with their babies. The centre will provide them a private and safe space to nurse their children while visiting the shrine,” Padhee said. “Through this facility we can , ensure a private, hygienic and comfortable environment for breastfeeding and enhance the overall experience of the women devotees, particularly those with infants,” he added. Earlier this month, state’s first public breastfeeding centre was opened by deputy chief minister Pravati Parida in Bhubaneswar. She had announced plans to set up similar centres in various public places like malls, markets, railway stations, etc. FRIENDLY MATCH Kerala on course to get Messi fever this November E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Kochi ON one moment, off the next. The Messi-to-Kerala saga has kept football fans on edge for nearly a year. The wait is over. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has confirmed that Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning team will play an international friendly in Kerala, between November 10 and 18 this year. In all likelihood, Thiruvananthapuram will host the match, while the opponent is yet to be decided. Posting the infor mation, AFA wrote on X: “(Matches) in FIFA for October, between 6 and 14 will be played in US and for November, between 10 and 18 in Luanda, Angola, and Kera l a , I n d i a ( r iv a l s t o b e determined).” AFA India celebrated the milestone, noting the match stems from a year-long collaboration with the Kerala government, initiated in Madrid. “A new chapter in AFA’s global expansion,” they declared. Kerala Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, who spearheaded the effort since November 2024, confirmed that Greenfield International Sta- dium in Thiruvananthapuram will be the venue. “This is a historic moment. The two options we had were either October or November. In between, they tried to push it to next year, but we remained adamant in our demand as we aim to bring the 2022 World Cup winners to Kerala,” he told reporters. The minister said several top-50 FIFA teams had expressed interest in playing the friendly with Australia emerg, ing the frontrunner. Other teams that are in the fray to This is a historic moment. In between, they tried to push it to next year, but we remained adamant to bring the 2022 World Cup winners to Kerala— V Abdurahiman, Kerala sports minister play against Argentina are Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Efforts are on to bring the Brazilian team. For Kerala, where the Argentina-Brazil rivalry is woven into football folklore, Messi’s presence would be nothing short of momentous. The last time the Argentina football team played in India was in 2011 when it faced Venezuela in Kolkata’s iconic Salt Lake Stadium.